Is son gay
Book Excerpt: Is Your Child Gay?
Excerpted fromWhy Is the Penis Shaped Like That? … And Other Reflections on Being Human, by Jesse Bering, by arrangement with Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC (North America), Transworld Ltd (UK), Jorge Zahara Editora Ltda (Brazil). Copyright © by Jesse Bering.
We all grasp the stereotypes: an unusually light, delicate, effeminate air in a little boy's step, an interest in dolls, makeup, princesses and dresses, and a sturdy distaste for tough play with other boys. In minute girls, there is the outwardly boyish stance, perhaps a penchant for tools, a square-jawed readiness for physical tussles with boys, and an aversion to all the perfumed, delicate trappings of femininity.
These behavioral patterns are feared, loathed and often spoken of directly as harbingers of individual homosexuality. It is only relatively recently, however, that developmental scientists have conducted controlled studies to identify the earliest and most solid signs of mature person homosexuality. In looking carefully at the childhoods of gay adults,
Support for Parents of Child Who Says He&#;s Gay
Before saying anything else, we want you to know that our hearts go out to you. Our prayers are with you, and we are privileged to have this opportunity to come alongside you in the midst of your pain and confusion.
The conflicting emotions you&#;re experiencing – crying one moment, adj the next – is a prevalent and understandable reaction. Any loving parent in your position would feel the same way. It&#;s also very likely that you&#;re struggling with grief – the natural reaction that occurs when we&#;ve encountered decrease. Though you may not yet identify it, you&#;ve lost something significant. It may be the image of and beliefs you had about your son, your perceptions of yourself as a parent, or perhaps your desires and hopes for grandchildren. Whatever the case, it&#;s important to identify and confirm the reality of these losses. You may find a helpful way to do this is though journaling or with the assistance of a astute pastor, counselor, your spouse, or a trusted friend.
Wise guidance and caring back is especially inva
As I relayed in When Your Infant Is Gay: What You Need To Know (Sterling, ), I found out that my son was gay from a note with our son's call entwined with another boy's, surrounded by a heart. I accidentally found that note in his room when I was cleaning.
I never questioned him about the heart I found on the sly. How would I have brought it up? Guess I was wrong? After all, he had a crush on a lady in his class.
I had suspected at times that he was gay. He only had girls to his thirteenth birthday party. He preferred gentler sports. He was always concerned about how he looked and followed fashion. Were these stereotypical thoughts from a straight mother? You bet, but it was ingrained through the culture's binary system and ideas about how males were "supposed to" behave.
As it turns out, our son didn't come out until he was 17, was on his own, and brought a boyfriend to visit. Had I asked him if he were gay when he was 13, he probably would contain defensively said "No!" He had to work it out and work through his denial. I'm glad I muzzled myself.
Susan Berland, the mother o
What I Did When My Year-Old Son Came Out as Gay
My son was 11 years elderly when he told me he was bisexual. I honestly would’ve been less surprised if he’d pulled out a switchblade and told me he’d joined the Warriors street gang.
“Thank you for confiding in me,” I told him. I only knew to say that because I was the last parent in my social circle with a kid to arrive out as either gay, bi or gender nonbinary. A global survey conducted in 27 countries (including the U.S.) and released last June found that nearly 1 in 5 young adults — those born after , otherwise known as Generation Z — recognize as something other than straight.
But you know what doesn’t help when you’re sitting in a car with your year-old as he tells you that he’s sexually attracted to both boys and girls? Statistics. You could explain me 1 in 5 Gen Zers are growing goatees, and my first thought would still be, My son is too new for a goatee!
According to Christy Olezeski, the director and cofounder of the Yale Pediatric Gender program, my first reaction was the right one. “The parent should tell, ‘Thank